Affliction
'We're too late' was Nick's first thought as he gathered Sara into his arms, pouring the contents of his canteen over her flushed face. Her arms and legs were limp, her breathing ragged and her skin burning to the touch- she didn't have long. As Sofia radioed in to the rest of the team, the Texan pulled his friend close to his chest, cradling her protectively as he smoothed the hair from her face.
"C'mon, Sara" He breathed. "Don't give up on me, please don't give up." As if she had heard his plea, Sara's eyes fluttered open, hazily trying to find the source of the sound. Her usually warm, brown orbs were sunken and lacking their usual lustre. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't, so she managed a weak smile instead.
"It's okay Sara, we're gonna get you out of here." Sofia promised, taking her friend's hand and squeezing it tightly.
The two CSIs watched their co-worker in horror as her eyes rolled back in her head, her back arched and she began to convulse violently. There was nothing they could do but watch.
As the fitting stopped, Sara's eyes remained closed. Nick was on the verge of tears as he touched his forehead to hers, silently willing her to fight this, to simply survive. He loved Sara like a sister, and hated himself for not protecting her.
He felt her breathe out a long sigh against his cheek, before her head rolled to the side.
"No," Nick shook her gently. "No! Sara, c'mon!" He shook her again, in desperation, as an SUV rolled up beside them. Catherine, and Grissom were running towards them, and Nick wished he could tell them to stop. That it was too late, they could run faster than the speed of light and Sara couldn't be saved.
"Nick?" Catherine asked, her face twisted in anxiety.
"She's dead, Catherine, we were too late." He sobbed out. She dropped beside them, a cry escaping her lips. The two women hadn't always gotten on, but deep down they loved each other. Catherine wished she could tell Sara that now, as she watched Nick rock back and forth with her body in his arms.
"Grissom..." Sofia spoke with trepidation, staring at her supervisor. Gil was stood perfectly still, his lips tightly shut and his eyes intently trained on the tragedy before him.
Nothing could prepare them for the terrible, heart-wrenching noise that he emitted as he fell to his knees, crying Sara's name as if he could call her back from the dead. His expression was contorted in anguish; is this what heartbreak looks like?
More cars arrived, carrying Brass and Warrick. A helicopter touched down and a couple of medics climbed out, but backed away when Catherine gave them a quick shake of the head. Too little, too late.
They each took turns sitting beside Sara in the morgue, keeping a vigil so she wouldn't be on her own. She was still beautiful even in death, though her skin had faded to a pallid, grey colour. Her rosy lips had taken on a blue-ish hue, and she was freezing to touch.
Doc Robbins, who had initially agreed that he should be the one to perform the autopsy, took one look at the woman laid out on his table and broke down in emotional agony. A doctor from a nearby hospital had agreed to take up the burden instead, making sure to perform the post-mortem with the utmost respect and carefully covering Sara with a sheet when he was done.
Catherine stretched her tired muscles, sighing heavily as she glanced at the morgue's clock- it was nearly 11:30 at night. She suddenly caught sight of Grissom standing outside the door, staring through the glass pane. She motioned for him to come in, which he did so reluctantly. She knew how badly this was affecting him; he had only just publicly declared his feelings for her as the only person he'd ever really loved.
"I'm so sorry, Gil." She reached out to touch his arm, sympathy written all over her face. He nodded.
"I can't believe we didn't get to her in time." He spoke hoarsely, stroking Sara's cheek with his thumb. Catherine shook her head sadly, trying to keep herself from tearing up.
"She wouldn't want us to blame ourselves, you know that. It was Natalie that caused her death, not us."
"We may not have caused her, Catherine," He looked up at his friend, eyes filled with tears. "But we didn't prevent it."
"Sara Sidle was truly an amazing being," Grissom began as he stood up to speak about his love. A lot of people had come to pay respects to her at her outdoor memorial service, and the majority watched him talk with eyes blurred by tears that had not yet fallen. "She didn't have the best start to life, but rather than being consumed by her shadows, she embraced them. She was painfully aware that, as a species, humans are always going to do bad things to each other. So she worked hard, every single day, to bring justice for people who can no longer stand up for themselves. The painful truth is, Sara's life was taken prematurely, and her death was nothing short of calamity. I believe it is a loss that will remain a burden to myself and the rest of my team for as long as we shall live." He glanced up at Catherine, Nick, and Warrick, leaning against one another for support.
"My words can in no way change the tragedy that has befallen each and every one of us, but I hope they might bring you all a little bit of peace. Sara spent her last moments in the arms of a good friend, and will spend a lifetime in our memories. I can't express the grief that losing her has brought, but as Thomas Campbell wrote; 'To live in hearts we leave behind, is not to die." Gil looked skyward, allowing himself to smile for the first time since Sara's death."I love you Sara." His whispered words drifted away in the breeze, lost to the heavens. "I love you."